What If
by Darth Corsa and Darth Manul
Summary: AU, non-slash. What If Obi-Wan learned how to change the past during his exile on Tatooine?


**Title**: What If…

**Author**: Darth Manul & Darth Corsa

**Genre**: Drama, Hurt/Comfort

**Summary**: What If Obi-Wan learned how to change the past during his exile on Tatooine?

**Disclaimer**: The galaxy belongs to us, these characters – to Luсas.

* * *

Ben Kenobi fell on his knees, feeling impotent fury. One more try and he still had not changed anything. Why had he such great power, if he was not able to fix something, could save nobody?

"Obi-Wan, you have tried," a gentle voice of Qui-Gon sounded from the Force.

But it was not enough. Not enough!

No, he would not give up, never. He should find another way. If the Force showed him this path, so he had _to_ do something and he would not rest until he carried out this will. He could possibly save thousands of innocent lives.

Obi-Wan Kenobi ruffled graying hair with his hand, knelt in meditation pose once again and closed his eyes.

What else could he do? He had already "removed" Anakin, Padme, Darth Maul, even himself. He had changed events from Naboo up to Mustafar. He had tried to tell the Council that Palpatine was another Sith, but nobody had believed him, but soon the Chancellor had sent his best killers to eliminate Kenobi. He could never evade the mission on Naboo, but he had done so that Ani had not left Tatooine with them. In that case a twisted will of the Force had led Darth Maul or Sidious himself on this sand planet and one of them took Anakin. If Zabrack had been killed on Naboo and Qui-Gon had survived, Jinn had soon been dead by a stray shot. If Maul had killed Obi-Wan, before Master Jinn's green laser took his life, Qui-Gon had taken Anakin as his padawan, always remembering Kenobi, but a Jedi simply could not kill Ani on Mustafar, so he was murdered by his own former apprentice and unharmed Ani had become Lord Vader. Obi-Wan also had forbidden Ani to visit Chancellor Palpatine, so after three years in the Temple, young Skywalker left the Order preferring to join the Chancellor. Anakin had met Padme in any case, they had married anyway. His tries to take Shmi from Tatooine had let to her unavoidable death on Coruscant – it was a robbery and she was shot or a drunken driver of speeder… When Obi-Wan "removed" a former queen of Naboo, Anakin fell from grace after his mother's death and without twines Luke and Leia there had been no hope.

But the Force definitely had planes for Obi-Wan. So, there was another option, a right one. But which one? During his exile on Tatooine Obi-Wan (not without Qui-Gon's help) studied the ability to look through alternative events and was trying to change the past.

Suddenly, he realized. What if he had never been Qui-Gon's Padawan? Nobody's Padawan?

Many years ago the Council had sent him to the Agricorps, because nobody wanted to take Obi-Wan.

Then, everything had happened on Bandomeer.

Ben Kenobi closed his eyes and fell into the deep meditation.

* * *

The mine of Bandomeer. A shocked tall knight was standing near the twelve years old boy, himself. He ran to ionite and deactivated the explosion mechanism. The lives of thousands people were saved.

Here was the chance.

Qui-Gon was leaving the mine with big strides, young Obi-Wan was following. _Present Obi-Wan_ reached the Force, became material and caught his copy by the collar. As had expected, Jinn did not notice the lagging boy.

Here was the point of no return. Obi-Wan dimmed the surprised boy's cries with the Force, and activated his lightsaber. After a moment he felt a dull pain in his own chest. Then he disappearing in the Force once again, leaving a cooling body behind. He was on Tatooine in his own old hut.

"Obi-Wan, what've you done? Do you realize that you have no way out?" the voice of Qui-Gon sounded through the Force.

He did not care now. Only laughed as a madman. Old wizard, as they called him. It was so simple!

* * *

Master Jinn discovered that young Kenobi was killed. It definitely was Xanatos' work. What a great loss for the Jedi Order! Right now he had one more reason to find the previous Apprentice; he chased a Dark Jedi and somehow managed to capture him and bring him for the Court on Coruscant.

Then monotonous missions started. Sometimes with other Masters, but most of them were solo missions. Qui-Gon became more isolated. He didn't take another Padawan, despite all master Yoda's protests.

After twelve years the events started to replicate. He was sent to the 'aggressive' negotiations with Trade Federation caused by the blockade of Naboo. All the same, but nobody said anything about 'a bad feeling'.

Attack of the droidekas, Jar-Jar Binks, the royal palace, escape, forced landing on Tatooine.

The Skywalkers family. But that time Master Jinn had no thoughts about training Anakin. Als Qui-Gon thanked them and left Shmi and her son forever. He headed to the Nubian. Alone. It took less time, so Maul never visited the desert planet.

They met in the Generator Complex of Naboo for the first time. Jinn, spending much time on his solo missions and getting used to trust nobody except himself, killed the Sith Apprentice. There was peace between people and gungans.

Palpatine, when he learned about his Apprentice's death, persuaded Count Dooku to join him, but a Jedi had no reasons now. So he told the Jedi Council about this and they easily captured Darth Sidious in time with minimal losses.

Sith were destroyed.

Anakin's name appeared in some reports of the successfully done mission and was quickly forgotten.

* * *

"Obi-Wan, I'm so sorry" he heard Qui-Gon's voice, which became more and more… material? Obi-Wan sighed heavily and felt that he started to dissolve in the Force to disappear forever.


End file.
